This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography.

The lighthouse at Point No Point in Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Miske via Flickr/Creative Commons https://flic.kr/p/qxwPTf)

Point No Point And Other Amazing, Actual Places

The website and book Sad Topographies teaches us that our planet is home to some unusually-named places, like Gloomy Lake in Ontario, Divorce Beach in Mexico, New Jersey’s Shades of Death Road (!) and a spot in Washington state known as Point No Point.


New and 'most accurate' world map, by J.Bleau, 1664. (Via Wikicommons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Old_maps#/media/File:Nova_et_Accuratissima_Terrarum_Orbis_Tabula_(J.Blaeu,_1664).jpg)

Earth Has Five Oceans Now, But Also Just One Ocean, It’s Complicated

How the oceans got their names – and why we don’t think of them as one big ocean, which is what it is – is a long and fascinating story.


What3Words map with a

How To Find Where You Are In Just Three Words

The app what3words breaks down all the spaces on earth into 3 meter by 3 meter squares and assigns each of those squares a unique set of three words.


Strawberry cake in the shape of Canada's flag (photo by Zombie Leah via Flickr/CC - https://flic.kr/p/9YAvND)

Canada Was Almost Named “Borealia”

Canada was only one name out of many that were suggested for the new country.


By Isla_de_los_Faisanes.jpg: Ignacio Gaviraderivative work: Giorgiomonteforti (talk) - Isla_de_los_Faisanes.jpg, CC BY 2.5, via Wikicommons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheasant_Island#/media/File:Isla_de_los_Faisanes-edited.jpg

Every Six Months This Island Switches Countries

Change is in the air every six months, in the border region between Spain and France.

Photo by Jason McHenry via Flickr/Creative Commons